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Master and Commander: a surefire Oscar hit
by Steven Kiser
the Carillon
Ahh . . . tis the season for movies that are actually worth the price of admission. After patiently putting up with painful bedsores like Terminator 3 and Matrix: Revolutions, audiences around the world are being treated to the creme de la creme. Already being hailed as an Oscar favourite, Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World can only be described as one of the only movies this year that you actually should see, not because it is good, but because it is that damn good.
Suffice it to say, Master and Commander is Saving Private Ryan on boats, minus the human anatomy lesson and the Nazis. The fact that a nearly three hour movie about a bunch of guys sailing on big boats is able to captivate audiences says a lot. Then again, all the elements for a good movie are right there: a great cast, terrific set and costume design, and a plot that has yet to be matched this year.
From the meticulous set design of the British and French warships to the stunning performances put forward by the actors themselves, the entire film comes together as one flawless piece of art. The film, based on the books of the same name, takes place during the Napoleonic war. Captain Aubrey commands the Surprise, a British war vessel with orders to intercept the Acheron, a pearl in the French navy.
The story itself is wonderfully written. Instead of bending to the will of all the romance junkies out there and inserting a love story, the script is kept honest. The only female references in the entire movie are made about the ship. In fact, the only women in the movie have about a 10 second cameo. I am in no way saying that women shouldn’t be in movies, but it is refreshing to see Hollywood actually staying true to the time frame of the film for a change.
Russell Crowe, who plays Captain Aubrey in the film, could easily receive his fourth consecutive Academy Award nomination for this performance. The realism and grittiness portrayed by Crowe makes the appearance of a seasoned veteran seem not only believable, but accurate. His role as Captain Aubrey allows for a more humanitarian style than most characters Crowe plays, which allowed him to deliver what was undeniably the best performance in the movie: absolutely solid.
The remainder of the crew is made up of numerous British actors, who complement the movie perfectly. The talent varies from Billy Boyd, who played Pippen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, to Paul Bettany, better known for his stage acting in Britain. The cast as a whole is probably the most surprising aspect of the movie. The chemistry between the group of actors is reminiscent of what a 19th century naval crew would have experienced.
Let’s face it: if a movie isn’t entertaining nowadays, people are not going to watch it. People are smart enough to know if they don’t like a movie. That is exactly how Master and Commander works; the fine folks responsible for the movie actually respected the audience for a change. Instead of force feeding a bunch of special effects and an entire cast of A-list celebrities, the executives relied on realism and talent. Who says a little can’t go a long way anymore?
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